1. ‘A Rape on Campus:’ What Went Wrong?
Columbia University’s Journalism school released its report detailing the journalistic failures of Rolling Stone’s viral story ‘A Rape on Campus,’ which initiated, and later may have stifled, an honest conversation about the prevalence rape on college campuses. Read the full report. “[Writer Sabrina Rubin] Erdely and her editors had hoped their investigation would sound an alarm about campus sexual assault and would challenge Virginia and other universities to do better. Instead, the magazine's failure may have spread the idea that many women invent rape allegations.”
2. The Courage of Bystanders Who Press ‘Record’
“Despite the fact that the world can now see Eric Garner being killed by an illegal chokehold — despite the fact that New York City Police Department banned chokeholds years ago — film of the incident did not result in the officer, Daniel Pantaleo, being charged. But thanks to the efforts of Ramsey Orta, who filmed Garner’s death, we know.”
3. Hope but Verify: The Iran Nuclear Framework
“House Speaker John Boehner recently said this about the broader instability in the Middle East: 'The world is starving for American leadership. But America has an anti-war president.' In the context of our faith — or even in the context of conservative ideals — is leadership that prevents war something to be maligned?”
4. How the Presidential Candidates Found Their Faith
“This season’s crop of presidential candidates reflects this country’s many contradictions in faith.” Newsweek explores the faith backgrounds of the apparent 2016 field so far.
5. Sarah Thomas Makes History as NFL’s First Full-Time Female Official
Thomas will be a line judge for the 2015 season, the NFL announced this week. She adds the title to a list of firsts, including: first woman to work college games and first woman at the FBS level to officiate a bowl game.
6. Billie Holiday: A Singer Beyond Our Understanding
On the week of what would have been her 100th birthday, Billie Holiday was a featured artist on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” “Few would have imagined then that the centennial of her birth would be an occasion for remembrance. But legends are about a state of mind, not a state of being, and some thrive best when they're not in competition with a living person.”
A beautiful reflection on the value of art as worship. “Perhaps worship goes beyond usefulness. Perhaps God, the Creator himself, has made it such that beauty speaks, too.”
8. Small Screens, Big World
Andy Crouch on giving up screens for Lent: "We all must learn to fast as our screens worm their way closer and closer to our heads and our hearts—not because screens are bad, but because the world is better. Well, also because the world is worse."
9. The Double-Standard of Making the Poor Prove They’re Worthy of Government Benefits
"The strings that we attach to government aid are attached uniquely for the poor."
10. California Drought Tests History of Endless Growth
"A punishing drought is forcing a reconsideration of whether the aspiration of untrammeled growth that has for so long been the state’s engine has run against the limits of nature."
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